Cape Verde's veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, a social media sensation from the recent World Cup, has officially joined Chilean club Colo-Colo, bringing his unique nickname and impressive goalkeeping skills to the South American league.
Key Points
- Vozinha, Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper, has signed a six-month contract with Chilean club Colo-Colo, with an option for a one-year extension.
- His social media following surged from 50,000 to 17.4 million after his standout performances at the World Cup, particularly against Spain.
- Colo-Colo secured special permission for Vozinha to use his nickname, meaning 'little grandmother', on his shirt, despite local regulations.
- Vozinha is expected to debut for Colo-Colo on August 16, as the club aims to maintain its lead in the Chilean Premier Division.
Cape Verde's veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who became a social media sensation at the World Cup, has arrived in Chile to join Colo-Colo. Vozinha, 40, will sign a six-month contract, with the possibility of a one-year extension, on Monday after undergoing a medical and he will start training on Tuesday.
World Cup Impact and Social Media Fame
Chilean media said he was likely to make his debut on August 16, against O'Higgins as Colo-Colo look to maintain their healthy lead at the head of the Chilean Premier Division. Vozinha's performances for the small African island nation at the World Cup in North America helped Cape Verde get past the group stage before a narrow loss to Argentina in the last 32. They held eventual winners Spain and twice world champions Uruguay to draws in the group phase and Vozinha played a major role in his country's debut appearance at the global tournament.
His Instagram account went from around 50,000 followers to around 17.4 million after his heroics against Spain in the first week of the tournament in June.
Nickname Approval and Career Background
Colo-Colo were on Friday granted permission for Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Jose Evore Dias, to use his footballing nickname on his shirt despite regulations in the South American country prohibiting it. The possibility he might be banned from using the name he had on his World Cup kit proved less contentious than originally thought, however, with other Chilean clubs agreeing to Colo-Colo's request. The nickname Vozinha, which means "little grandmother" in Portuguese, was given by the older kids when he was a boy and would cry after losing games of street football and storm home to his grandparents, with whom he lived. The goalkeeper was last at Portuguese second division side Chaves and has played for clubs in Angola, Cyprus, Moldova and Slovakia.
